


Mi Corazon - The Restaurant

by arinjade



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Actor! Raphael, Alternate Universe, Los Angeles, M/M, Mexican Food, Mexican Restaurant AU, Musician! Simon, Saphael, i'll think of more tags later, starving artists
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-22 09:26:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9601421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arinjade/pseuds/arinjade
Summary: Simon thought it was a good idea to drop out of college, pack everything he owns into one giant suitcase and move to Los Angeles and pursue a music career.What could go wrong?Otherwise known as the Mexican Restaurant AU no one asked for but needed to exist.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a fanfiction is years, so please be gentle with me. This is not beta-ed, so let me know of any errors you may catch.
> 
> This is semi-based on a real occurance I had at a Mexican restaurant today in LA.
> 
> Enjoy!

Simon was starving. He had only moved to LA a few days earlier to further pursue his music career, much to the displeasure of his mother. In her defense, spending only one year in college studying finance seemed like a better way to set you up for success later in life. He could agree with her on that at least.

 

Yet, at 19 years old, Simon felt stuck in his life and what was expected of him. Everyone around him was pursuing his or her dreams. Clary was immersed in art school and began spending more and more time with the friends she met there, specifically some tool named Jace.

 

Okay okay, he had to admit to himself, Jace wasn’t as bad as he originally thought and a lot of the anger he had towards him initially was because he felt like he was loosing his best friend. Despite Clary not hanging out with him as much, they were still close, but he could tell their lives were going in different directions. He was warned that it would happen, when he and Clary went their separate ways for college. Simon refused to believe it though, they were still going to both be in New York and would always hang out. That didn’t happen, and he was lucky to receive a text from her a couple times a week.

 

It isn’t as if Simon didn’t _have_ friends other than Clary, just that it seemed none of them stuck around for very long.

 

Yes, it was time for a change. So with minimal notice to his family, Simon bought the cheapest flight to the West Coast and packed his bags.

 

He wouldn’t say he didn’t have a plan per say, just that he was going play music as much as possible, probably get some dingy job that will pay the bills, and see where life took him.

 

Long story short, Simon needed a change of pace so he dropped everything to become another starving artist in sunny Los Angeles.

 

Simon was broken out of his thoughts by his stomach growling loudly again.

 

“Ughhhh.” Simon groaned, wrapping his arms around his middle. He had spent nearly all of his money to just get here and pay his first month rent and deposit.

 

“We can hear you complain from in here! Just go get something to eat, we don’t want to have to deal with your dead body.” One of his roommates, Alec, shouted from his room next door.

 

Alec was a few years older than Simon. He was tall, handsome, and stupidly in shape. Simon wasn’t surprised when he found out that Alec was the manager at a high-end gym in West Hollywood. That is also where he happened to meet his boyfriend; apparently private trainer sessions can lead to a lot of…well sex. That boyfriend also just happened to be his landlord, aka his other roommate.

 

“Yes, darling, we can loan you some cash if you are really that strapped.” Said Magnus. Magnus was probably a little older than Alec, but it was hard to tell since he had never seen him without makeup on yet. The subtle makeup exaggerated his eyes and brought out his facial structures. Simon had to admit, it really suited him.

 

As far as landlords go, Magnus was caring and always willing to give advice, especially to young kids who follow their dream to move out to LA only to realize shortly after they didn’t have a plan, job, or any money.

 

Magnus said he had a friend who was looking to hire someone to work at his vintage comic book store and that he would get back to Simon once he had an answer.

 

Simon clumsily walked out of his room to lean dramatically on the doorframe to his roommates’ room.

 

“Nooo, I couldn’t take your money! You are already helping me out so much by trying to find me a job. And not to mention –“ Simon was cut off but the loud grumbling coming from his belly.

 

“Take the fucking money, Simon.” Alec said with a deadpan expression on his face. As if on cue Magnus somehow magically whipped out a $20 with his perfectly manicured hand.

 

Simon pouted, “Fine, but I’ll pay you back!”

 

Magnus got up and placed the bill in his open hand, “Now run along, there is a superb Mexican restaurant just down the street.”

 

Simon nearly drooled at the thought; he had heard so much about the Mexican food in Southern California and had yet to try it. In other words, he didn’t have to be told twice.

 

“What’s it called?” Simon asked with an excited smile.

 

“Mi Corazon. What does that mean again, my light?” Magnus asked, looking over at his boyfriend who had seemingly checked out of the conversation already.

 

“Huh? Oh right, uhm it means “My Heart.” Alec said distractedly, trying to focus on the show he was watching.

 

“Well whatever it is, it sounds great.” Said Simon, “Thank you again for the cash, I’ll get you next time!” Though he had no idea when that would be since he was broke and Magnus seemed to have a taste for the finer things in life.

 

He rushed to pull on his converse over his two different socks, both having their own unique pattern. Simon loved weird socks.

 

He stepped outside the apartment and reveled when the sunlight hit his skin. It was a perfect day out in the Valley. After he stretched his arms one more time, he started walking down the stairs and out onto the street.

 

Magnus was right when he said the restaurant was right down the street, it wasn’t even a block away. Mi Corazon was darker compared to the cheery buildings around it. When he opened the door, Simon saw that the interior matched the exterior; it was dark with red motifs. The logo of the restaurant was a realistic red heart surrounded by its name.

 

In other words, it definitely was a bit creepy and didn’t remind him of any traditional Mexican restaurant. But hey, if Magnus suggested it, it must be good. Right?

 

The restaurant was nearly empty, save for a couple eating together. There were two men sitting at the counter who turned around when they heard Simon walk in.

 

“Customer!” One of them shouted to the back of the restaurant.

 

A man came out front from what was presumable the kitchen dressed in all black, with a black apron tied around his waist. He was wearing a tight shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show his forearms. Simon assumed it was just to keep them out of his way and not to torture him, because holy shit he was hot.

 

He had dark; seemingly tired eyes that had some darkness around them and chiseled cheeks. His skin was lightly tanned and hair was impeccably styled, juxtaposing Simon’s own mess of a hairstyle, or lack they’re of.

 

Simon could feel his jaw drop slightly as he stared for a few seconds past what would have been acceptable.

 

“So are you going to sit?” The man suddenly asked, a slight scowl forming on his face, Simon obviously wasting his time.

 

Oh good, Simon thought, he does have a flaw; he’s an asshole.

 

“Oh, right! Uh, uhm is right here okay?” He gestured to an empty table that was surrounded by other empty tables.

 

The man rolled his eyes slightly, “Yes, sir please take a seat.”

 

Simon hadn’t originally planned on eating at the restaurant, he was just going to order, take his food home and watch Netflix, but now he felt trapped. The dark walls of the restaurant seemed even more ominous and his hot waiter thought he was an idiot. Yeah mom, he thought to himself, life in LA is going great so far.

 

“My name is Raphael, I will be your server today. Take your time looking at the menu and shout for me when you are ready.” The waiter, now known as Raphael, dropped the menu on the table with something less than grace and walked to the back of the restaurant.

 

Simon’s heart was pounding slightly. Damn, they really weren’t kidding when they said everyone in LA was attractive. He supposed everyone who came here was in fact trying to become famous, and in a certain respect, so was he.

 

But Simon definitely didn’t look like Raphael, so he could only hope his music would kick off in some way. I mean if a guy who looked like his waiter wasn’t a world famous actor, then how did he expect to become anything out here.

 

That thought made his head fall slightly. Suddenly he was happy with the dark environment, finding it matching his turn in mood.

 

He wasn’t sure how long he got lost in his thoughts again until he was startled and shot his head up. Simon’s glasses tumbled off his face and clattered on the plate below him. Effectively shocking everyone else in the fairly quiet room.

 

He felt the blood rush to his face as he looked up sheepishly to Raphael looking down at his with a jug of water and glass in his hand.

 

“Glass of water for you?” He said with a slight smirk on his face.

 

Simon gulped, even though it wasn’t anywhere near a full smile, it still made the hair on his arms stand up.

 

“Y-yeah, that would be great thanks.”

 

As Raphael poured the water in the glass with ease he asked, “Have you decided on what you would like to eat?”

 

Simon hadn’t, actually he had barely looked at the menu since he had been so deep in his thoughts. Suddenly feeling the pressure to make a decision, he pointed at the first thing that looked good.

 

“Uh, yeah can I have the carnitas burrito.” He finally said.

 

“Course, coming right up. Anything else for you?”

 

Simon was almost tempted to say, “You.” He had to calm the fuck down, at this point he nearly forgotten how hungry he was just 10 minutes ago.

 

“No thanks, just that.” He managed to smile somehow this time. And miraculously, Raphael gave a small smile back. That seemed to be his only answer though since he turned around after that and went straight into the kitchen, leaving Simon alone again.

 

He started to relax slightly and decided to take out his phone. Simon smiled when he saw a message from Clary waiting for him.

 

 **Clary:** Hey how ya doing LA boy?

 

Simon laughed inwardly; he knew the East Coast/West Coast battles were going to start soon.

 

 **Simon:** Great! I mean if you consider everyone literally being a 15 out of 10 while I’m a 5 on a good day, great haha

 

Self-deprecating jokes were Simon’s specialty. She quickly typed out a response.

 

 **Clary:** Oh shut up, I know you are gonna make waves out there. Literally. Don’t get eaten by a shark plz

 

Simon was usually the one to jump to outrageous conclusions on how he would die, so it was funny to see his best friend worry about him in that way.

 

 **Simon:** Hey don’t say that lol I was already planning on taking surfing lessons

 

 **Clary:** You are joking right? You couldn’t even stand on a skateboard for longer than 5 seconds in high school

 

This time he actually laughed out loud, once again startling the other couple eating in the restaurant. He remembered when he and Clary tried to learn how to skateboard because they got into their heads that that would convince this one girl he liked that he was cool. Clary was right there trying to help him learn, even though he failed miserably. The girl ended up dropping out a week later so it didn’t end up mattering anyways, but the memory of killing his body for a day was a fond one.

 

 **Simon:** Yeah whatever haha how’s summer up there?

 

Simon had left for LA right after finishing his first year in college. Hence why he was thoroughly enjoying the LA summer.

 

 **Clary:** HOT AND HUMID. Ugh it kills me. My hair is literally a giant hairball.

 

 **Simon:** Yeah definitely not gonna miss that. And Jace?

 

The young man finally accepted Jace as a part of Clary’s life, despite him always getting on his nerves. The opposite probably felt the same way though. He wanted to show Clary that despite moving across the country, he still wanted to support their relationship as best he could.

 

 **Clary:** It’s great, he’s great, I don’t know, everything is just … great? Lol Srsly though he makes me really happy. Even though he is a graphic design major he still tries to pretend to like when I go off on tangents about art history in the 15 th century.

 

Simon laughed quieter this time, remembering how Clary could just forget that he was there when she went into one of those rants.

 

It was at that moment he felt a looming presence settle over him. Looking up he saw Raphael glaring down at him with a hot plate in his hand. He must have been standing there and Simon was so focused on his phone he didn’t even notice.

 

He let his phone fall into his lap without responding to his best friend and moved his hand to the sides so there was room for the plate.

 

Raphael set it down gently, “Well, enjoy. Let me know if you need anything else.” He said curtly.

 

Simon at that moment couldn’t respond because he had already shoved a quarter of the burrito down his throat and  _oh my god,_ it was delicious. Raphael eyed him with some amusement as he tried to muffle out a thank you.

 

Raphael caught on, “Yeah, yeah you’re welcome kid. Don’t choke.” He said with a hint of humor in his voice. Simon was confused being called kid by someone who was at most a year or two older than him, but didn’t question it. He had a burrito to inhale after all.

  

Simon sighed and patted his stomach contentedly. He probably ate that way too quickly and would regret it later, but for now it was the best burrito he ever damn had. He knew he would be coming back to this place often, especially if an added bonus was seeing Raphael again. A voice in the back of his mind said that it really was the burrito that was the added bonus because when Raphael brought him the check their hands brushed for a moment and sent a chill through Simon’s body.

 

Raphael must have noticed because he made eye contact with the younger man and gave him a smirk as if teasing him. Simon couldn’t have helped but think his quickly growing crush was very evident on his face.

 

“New to LA aren’t you?” Raphael said as his brought back the change from Magnus’ $20 Simon received earlier.

 

“Uhm, yeah is it obvious? Haha.” Simon let out a nervous chuckle afterwards and instantly regretted it since it sounded so awkward.

 

“Definitely don’t dress like you’re from around here. I’m going to guess, East Coast?” Raphael said with some smugness in his voice.

 

“Yeah, actually how did you know – wait what is wrong with my clothes?” Simon asked suddenly offended and grabbed his graphic tee to look down at it.

 

“Let’s just say lucky guess. Just you might want to dress up a bit more if you want to do well here. You seem like another young kid trying to blindly chase their dreams. Trust me, you won’t make it that far if you don’t care about your appearance more. Just giving you some well-needed advice. “ He said holding up his hands as if in surrender. Though he still had that look of amusement in his eyes.

 

“Yeah well, I think I’ll do just fine out here! I mean you are working as a waiter, what advice could you give me?” Simon instantly regretted the words as the left his mouth. He couldn’t help it though; this guy no matter how hot he was, just saw him as a joke.

 

Raphael scoffed as if that statement didn’t take him aback, but nonetheless dropped the receipt on the table and walked away shaking his head without another word.

 

Well Simon royally fucked that up. The first hot guy he met in LA and he managed to not only embarrass himself but also question the other man’s talent. Trying to avoid any other awkwardness, he quick slammed down a tip that was probably a bit too large but wanted it to seem as a sort of apology. Normally he would just leave the receipt on the table, but for some reason he grabbed it this time before he rushed out of the dark restaurant and back into daylight.

 

Sighing as he started the short walk back to the apartment he looked at the crumpled up receipt in his hand. He almost ran into a runner when he saw what was written inside.

 

_(818) 999-0000_

_Call me sometime – Raphael_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the positive feedback! I will continue to try an update this story consistently.
> 
> Please let me know what suggestions you may have after reading, enjoy!

Simon collapsed face first into his bed the second he walked into his room. Gathering pillows into his face, he let out the scream he was holding since he accidentally insulted Raphael only to realize after, the guy had actually been flirting with him.

 

He knew that sometimes he could be dense and not read a situation the right way, but this was a whole new low, even for him.

 

The young man lifted his head slightly to pull off his glasses; they were crushed into his face and probably about to break.

 

Simon was just about to proceed screaming when he noticed out of the corner of his now blurry vision, his two roommates standing outside the door to his room. He squinted and was able to tell Alec looked pissed, as if he had just been woken from a nap, his hair pointing in every direction. Magnus looked flushed but concerned, with a loose robe wrapped over his body. It took Simon a moment to connect the pieces when realization dawned over him

 

“Fuck.” He muttered weakly. Not only had he forgotten to close his door, he had interrupted his roommates having sex. Within less than a week of moving to LA, Simon already had enough embarrassment to equal his entire sophomore year of high school.

 

“No, not anymore.” Alec whispered under his breath, which prompted Magnus to elbow him in his stomach. “Hey!” He shouted, and shot a weak glare at his boyfriend.

 

“Now, now, Alec, be nice. Simon has obviously gone through something traumatic and needs comforting.” Magnus said before walking over to Simon’s bed and sitting down on its edge, “Spill.” He put his hand on Simon’s shoulder like a parent would to a child who was having an irrational temper tantrum.

 

Simon groaned one more time before slowly raising his body, “I just met the hottest guy ever and not only managed to come across as a complete idiot, I decided to top it off by being an asshole!” He threw his arms in the air and let them drop to his sides.

 

“Oh dear, I sincerely doubt that.” The older man said reassuring him.

 

“You weren’t there! I thought he was saying that I would fail out here in LA, so I flipped and basically said he had no talent because he was a waiter. When I left I realized he had written his number down on my receipt before I decided to insult him.” Simon said all this in one breath and was now panting slightly.

 

“Let me see the receipt.” Magnus said holding his hand out.

 

Simon moaned as he handed it over to him, “And he was just trying to give me advice and of course I took it the wrong way. And oh god, what if he is right though. And maybe I really am not cut out to pursue music. And what am I going to-“

“Raphael? You met Raphael?” Magnus said with a slow grin spreading on his face.

 

“Yes, Raphael. Hot, annoying, smirking, Raphael. Wait why? Why are you smiling? Stop smiling, you’re freaking me out!” Simon’s voice started to grow more panicked the longer he waited for Magnus’ response.

 

“He does that. One for dramatics, if you couldn’t tell,” Alec said, breaking the silence, “Raphael is a friend you could say.”

 

“Hey! I was getting there, you ruined the moment.” Magnus shot Alec a glare that quickly ended with a wink.

 

“Yes, Raphael and I have some history. When I met him, he was struggling. Badly. Barely had a dollar to his name, but had such passion for his art.” The man’s brow furrowed and he shook his head slightly as if reliving a memory.

 

“His parents kicked him out when he was 18. _They_ were of the belief that acting wasn’t a real job and if that was something he wanted to pursue, he would have to support himself. Completely.”

 

Simon felt his stomach sink. He couldn’t even begin to imagine his mother abandoning him. As much as she disliked the idea of her son dropping out of school, she knew it was something that he truly loved and believed in him.

 

“I could tell Raphael was on the edge of making a mistake that many struggling individuals out here end up coming to. At the time, my art dealership was just beginning to take off and I didn’t have much but I knew I had to help this poor boy. That’s when I introduced him to Camille.” Magnus paused when he saw Alec’s jaw clench.

 

“Don’t mention that bitch’s name in this house.” Alec gritted out between his teeth.

 

Simon’s eyebrows raised, normally Alec was so neutral and any anger he ever showed was usually jokingly. He didn’t ever want to piss of the man enough that he would react that way simply by just hearing his name.

 

“My love, it’s just for the story’s sake. Anyways, Camille is an old acquaintance. Well, I suppose you could say friend, or even something more. But, the past is the past and I never want to revisit it.” Magnus said giving Alec a small smile and taking his hand.

 

“This Camille, what does she have to do with Raphael?” Simon asked, urging him to continue the story. He had almost forgotten his embarrassment at this point; intrigued at the backstory of this man he had just met.

 

“Camille owns Mi Corazon. I asked her to hire Raphael as a favor, to help him get back on his feet. It was never meant to be a long-term thing, but as time went on she kept on convincing him to stay. Giving him more responsibilities, raising his pay. Though it may not look like it, but Raphael is what keeps that place running. If Camille had full reign, it would a front for the cartel by now.”

 

Magnus paused and sighed, “I think Raphael actually loves that place to a certain extent, it did save him from one of the darkest times in his life. As much as he would like to move on and spend more time focusing on his acting career, the guilt he would feel abandoning the place and leaving it to Camille is stronger.”

 

“Wow, I had no idea, that’s so horrible. He can’t even pursue his dreams while he is stuck there, and I made it seem like it was his own fault.” Simon looked down miserably at his own hands.

 

“Hey, don’t say that.” Alec suddenly chimed in in a soft voice and sat down on the other side of Simon, “Camille is manipulative and likes having control over people. Raphael does his best and still gets commercials every now and then when she isn’t working him to the bone.”

 

“Yes, dear, don’t let what happened worry your little head. Raphael obviously saw something in you or he wouldn’t have given you his number. He doesn’t take to people easily, so that is sign enough that you should still try and text him.” Magnus said while straightening out the crumpled receipt.

 

“What?! Oh no, I can’t, there is absolutely no way I can try talking to him again after that shit show.” Simon said holding his hands up and speaking hurriedly.

 

“Well, definitely not right away. Raphael isn’t known for getting over things quickly; in fact he excels at holding grudges. He still hasn’t spoken to his parents once in 4 years.” Magnus said with a serious voice.

 

“But nonetheless, if he was willing to get your number than I think there’s a high probability that he will give you a second chance.”

 

“And going off your reaction to this whole situation, I think it’s safe to say you felt something as well.” Alec said giving him a brotherly shove.

 

Simon grabbed his forearm with his opposite hand and sheepishly shrugged, “I guess, I mean he was stupidly hot and by hearing more about him it kind of makes sense why he was a dick in the beginning. Oh, and maybe I’ll get free burritos if I at least become friends with him!”

 

The young man’s age was suddenly showing since it ended up being the thought of free food that dramatically improved how he was feeling.

 

“You are seriously a child.” Alec said chuckling and standing up off the bed.

 

“You, Alec, are the one that refuses to leave Costco without trying every single sample.” Magnus chides getting up as well.

 

“That is just being economical!” He replied and they continued their banter out of Simon’s room.

 

There were just about to be out of earshot, when Magnus suddenly poked his head back in.

 

“Oh, by the way, my friend Ragnor said he does have an opening at that comic book store of his. Would you still be interested?”

 

“Uh, hell yeah! Sign me up, I love comics.” Simon beamed. This was the perfect job for him to have while he tried to start booking gigs.

 

Magnus glanced around Simon’s room which walls were already decorated in posters, some including Iron Man and Hulk.

 

“That’s what I thought. Well, I’ll connect you two and you can arrange when you will start.”

 

“Thank you so much, Magnus, you have no idea what this means to me.” Simon said genuinely.

 

“Of course, my dear please let me know if you need anything else.” Magnus said before ducking out of the room again.

 

Simon fell back against his bed so he was staring and the ceiling. He couldn’t help but have a grin on his face.

 

He had a job and it was hopefully a sign of good things to come. What he needed to do next was start making some relationships with local bars and coffee shops that had artists come play for free drinks.

 

The young man turned his head to see the receipt next to his head.

 

Oh right, Simon thought and a bit a dread reentered his thoughts. He hated that he had to be the one to reach out first. He supposed it was him that threw the last punch and wasn’t the one to go out on a limb and give Raphael his number.

 

But still! How was he going to text the guy, what could he possibly say to change his mind?

 

_Hey this is Simon, sorry for saying you had no talent. I know your entire backstory now so it makes a lot more sense. Want to get coffee sometime?_

Yeah, no.

 

That wasn’t going to work. If anything, he had a couple of days to think about it since there was no way he was texting him now. Today was Thursday, so maybe Sunday would be good. The Lord’s day, maybe that means Raphael will be forgiving? It’s not like Simon would know, he’s Jewish. But he had to hope.

 

Even though he only met Raphael very briefly, just thinking about him made his heart clench, even just for a moment.

 

Simon hadn’t felt this way in a while. There was a time, probably around the end of his junior year of high school that he was in love with Clary. The longer his unrequited feelings went on, he starter to realize he was more in love with the idea of being with Clary.

 

It was around the time when they had to start seriously thinking about college and everything was about to start changing. He just wanted a constant in his life, and being in a relationship with his best friend of 10 plus years seemed like an amazing idea.

 

What he was feeling, or starting to feel for the man he had barely met was raw. The encounter left a burning feeling in the pit of his stomach that he didn’t want to end. In fact, he wanted more.

 

Yup, it was safe to say that Simon was crushing. Hard.

 

He had to do something to get his mind off of it, so he decided to pull out his old beat up guitar.

 

It was well loved and Simon couldn’t bring himself to replace it.

 

He started strumming out a few cords and closed his eyes. It was so easy for him to get lost in the music and forget how long he was playing.

 

Simon started humming softly along with the notes leaving his guitar.

 

_I am a lost boy from Neverland_

_Usually hanging out with Peter Pan_

_And when we're bored we play in the woods_

_Always on the run from Captain Hook_

_"Run, run, lost boy, " they say to me_

_Away from all of reality_

_Neverland is home to lost boys like me_

_And lost boys like me are free_

_Neverland is home to lost boys like me_

_And lost boys like me are free_

This was one of his favorite songs and it was almost always stuck in his head in one way or another. Humming, whistling, or outright singing when he thought no one was looking.

 

Just playing like this instantly made Simon feel better about the rollercoaster of emotions he felt today. Everything just felt much smaller when it was only he and his guitar. It reassured him once again that he made the right decision to move to LA.

 

Maybe everything would turn out okay.

 

* * *

 

Okay was a relative term Simon realized the next day when he went into work the next evening to meet Ragnor. He reminded him a lot of Magnus, but not in way that Magnus was impeccably organized.

 

The comic book store was a mess. Nothing had a set place where it belonged. The different years were thrown together haphazardly with no regard to editions or brands.

 

Despite that, the place seemed surprisingly popular. It was obvious that Ragnor had a very good collection even though things were out of order. Simon had already spotted 5 incredibly rare copies of Justice League, but they were in what was suppose to be the Marvel section.

 

“Oh great you are here! Simon isn’t it?” Ragnor walked into the young man’s sight with a flourish. He was definitely a hippie in his day, longer dark hair that was starting to grey slightly. He had a lot of loose flowing layers on that moved around him as he walked.

 

“Magnus said you would be coming in tonight. I’ve been running this shop myself for the past few years, but it has recently grown dramatically in its popularity. I can thank those high budget Hollywood movies for driving business my way I suppose. I’m not actually one for these comic books, I’d much rather living in the country side and write my biography.” Ragnor said with a sigh.

 

“But I digress, I am so happy you are here. I have refused to hire anyone else to help me until now, you can never trust some of these people who come out to LA. Think they can just come out here and make it big without putting in the hard work.” The older man scoffed.

 

“I figured, if Magnus recommended you, than I would take his word for it.” Ragnor finished and it took Simon a moment to realize it was his turn to talk.

“Oh yes! I am so grateful really, you have no idea how much this job will help me out. And I would be happy to organize the comics. I love them, so it would actually be fun for me.” The young man said eagerly. He meant it, plus it would make him feel a lot better to see this place do the comics it held justice.

 

“Well that is great to hear! That would be a great start. Let’s do this, why don’t you start coming in tomorrow at 9am, an hour before we open, so you can work on that project. You can continue working on it in-between helping customers. Don’t worry about closing up, I can take care of that since I live right above the shop.” Ragnor said holding his hand out to shake on it.

 

“That sounds perfect.” Simon replied and it was official. He was employed and he would still have plenty of time to figure out his music career.

 

He started his walk home after that. It was starting to get dark out since Ragnor wanted to meet him after the shop closed for that day. It was a longer walk, but Simon didn’t mind. He wanted to see more of the area he was living in, plus he knew driving would be a bitch in LA. Even the short distance around this time would suck.

 

So, Simon enjoyed his walk and even could see the sunset at one point. The sky began turning into a mixture of pinks and reds. He had to admit sunsets in California were beautiful. He could watch them every night.

 

By the time he was starting to get back into his neighborhood, it was completely dark out. It wasn’t that Simon lived in a bad area by any means, but it just happened to be particularly quiet that night and absent of any other people.

 

He could feel himself start to get a little more anxious to get back inside, so he quickened his pace. He was just about to pass Mi Corazon when he ran face first into a solid figure and fell straight onto his ass.

 

Simon let out a startled yelp as he hit the ground and felt his glasses fall off his face. In his panic he started feeling around on the dimly lit sidewalk for the thing that would give him sight again.

 

“Oh my god, I am so sorry, I was not looking. That was completely my fault.” Simon stammered out hurriedly.

 

Suddenly he felt a hand that held his glasses reach out to him.

 

“Dios, you are an idiot.” An annoyed voice spoke out.

 

Simon quickly put his glasses on and his eyes widened.

 

“R-Raphael.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Simon, seems like he will have to face Raphael sooner than expected.
> 
> The song is called Lost Boy by Ruth B and I highly recommend it!
> 
> Once again, please feel free to leave constructive feedback or any thoughts you may have!
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Simon’s heart was pounding in his chest, loudly enough that he could hear the pumping in his ears.

 

He was trying to reason with himself that it was because he was just scared shitless, but if he was being honest, it was because of the man who was now looking down at him like he was gum on the sidewalk.

 

Which he might as well of been since looking up at Raphael now he found he couldn’t move his limbs under his scrutinizing gaze.

 

“Yes, that is my name. Surprised you remembered it.” Raphael said while brushing his hands down the length of his jacket and not taking his eyes off of Simon. If looks could kill, the younger man was sure he would be long dead by now.

 

He could feel something digging into the soft skin of his palms, as they lay splayed on the ground, yet he still couldn’t bring himself to stand. Nor, did it seem like he was going to be able to compel himself to speak.

 

Simon and Raphael continued to stare, willing the other to speak first.

 

A sudden pain shot through Simon’s hands and he let out a small gasp.

 

Surprisingly, it was Raphael who broke the unspoken silence after seeing this.

 

“Hey, come here, give me your hands.” The older man lowered himself and stuck his own hands out as an offer to help him up.

 

Simon looked at them suspiciously for a moment, as if they would suddenly turn into snakes.

 

“C’mon, I don’t bite.” Raphael said seriously, as if that was an actual possibility.

 

The young man attempted to swallow his nerves and place his hands into the waiter’s.

 

Quicker than he thought was possible; Simon was on his feet again.

 

And a lot closer to Raphael’s face than was probably for the best, since it seemed like he once again didn’t have control of his jaw around the man.

 

“I-uh, thank yo-“ Simon was cut off when the older man turned his hands over and he was shocked to find them covered in blood. He quickly turned his head to look at the ground where he fell and saw there were a few pieces of broken glass that where shone red in the street light.

 

“Oh my god, I am so sorry.” Simon rushed out and quickly felt the heat of embarrassment rush up his neck and to his face. Logically, he knew he had no reason to be apologizing but he could literally not help the words as they spilled out of his mouth. “I wasn’t looking and wow I got so much blood all over you, this is so horrible. I wish I had napkins or something to help-“

 

“You really can’t stop talking for even 5 seconds can you.” Raphael said flatly, looking into his eyes again. He looked like he was honestly trying to dissect Simon’s personality to understand how his mind worked. Without another word, Raphael took a hold of Simon’s wrist, careful to avoid the cuts on his hands, and started pulling him towards the entrance of Mi Corazon.

 

“Uh, why are you taking me inside the restaurant?” The young musician asked suspiciously, as if he was about to be pulled into some evil lair, never to be seen again. He used his free hand to push up his glasses that were sliding down his face, only to smudge blood down the middle of his nose, he didn’t notice.

 

Raphael rolled his eyes in a way that suited him perfectly, and proceeded to speak slowly, as if talking to a toddlers, “You see your hands? You cut them. And as much as I hate to admit it, I had a part it in and I’m not just going to let you go on your merry way until fixing it.”

 

Simon’s eyebrows rose on his forehead in a bit of surprise and he said in a quieter voice, “You really don’t have to.” He paused to gather his thoughts before continuing, “I mean, after what I said you last time, I thought you would want to have nothing to do with me.”

 

The older man didn’t say anything at first, only motioning Simon to sit down in a tall barstool by the counter. The guitarist sat obediently while Raphael went behind the cash register to pull out a first aid kit and started digging around for things he would need.

 

When he finally did say something it startled Simon because it was a chuckle.

 

“You act like you’re the worst customer I’ve ever had.” Raphael continued, now with what seemed like amusement on his face, “I’ve had people throw their food at me because there wasn’t enough pico de gallo in their burrito.”

 

Simon just stared at him with a bit of shock, “But you seemed so pissed off.” At this time, the actor had taken out disinfectant wipes and was gingerly wiping around the cuts on his hands. It stung, but Simon held in the sounds he would have normally made to not cause any further awkwardness to this whole situation.

 

“Oh I was, how would you feel going out on a limb to give someone your number, only to have said person say you are a shitty actor and storm out.” Raphael paused to look Simon in the eyes again. It made the younger man feel incredibly vulnerable, as if he was an open book. He darted his gaze away to look at the dark walls that were decorated in an assortment of crosses of all different shapes and sizes. He thought it looked a bit gaudy, but in a way that worked with the restaurants unconventional gothic theme for a Mexican restaurant. Normally, excessive religious motifs made he kind of uncomfortable, but now he felt somewhat empowered.

 

When he felt like he could speak again, Simon trained his eyes back on Raphael’s and tried to summon all of his courage into his next words.

 

“I am so sorry for what I said before, but if you want to, I would like to start over.” Simon pressed his lips into a thin line in anticipation for either acceptance or rejections.

 

All he got in return was a wet cloth suddenly wiping on his nose.

 

“Uhh, why-“

 

Raphael cut him off mid-sentence again, which was starting to become a habit and would normally annoy him, but in this case he quickly quieted.

 

“Blood.” The older man said shortly.

 

“Excuse me?” Simon said putting his hand to his face, wondering if he got a bloody nose from how nervous he was (and how hot the man in front of him was).

 

Raphael smirked in a way that made the younger man’s heart skip a beat, “When you pushed up your glasses your hands brushed your nose.”

 

“So you are saying that I just asked you on a date with blood on my face?” Simon asked incredulously.

 

“Yes and yes.”

 

“What was the second yes for?”

 

“Yes to a date.”

 

This time Simon was sure he was about to get a bloody nose or pass out. Or both. Did he just hear him correctly? This god-like man standing just a foot away from him, this man who was still holding his hand as he took bandages out of the first aid kit with his free hand, this man who he only insulted yesterday, this man who was probably way out of Simon’s league just agreed to go on a date with him.

 

“You – you’re serious?” Simon asked with obvious shock on his face.

 

Raphael looked up from his task of wrapping the hurt hands; “Well you are kind of cute when offended.” Simon swore his eyes twinkled when he said this.

 

He didn’t wait for Simon to respond before he continued, “Also, I realized I never got your name.”

 

Simon pondered this for a moment and remembered that he never actually introduced himself when he was at the restaurant the day before, “It’s, uh, Simon, Simon Lewis” He couldn’t control the lopsided grin that grew on his face.

 

“Well, ‘uh-Simon,’ I think you are all taken care of here.” Raphael took his wrists gently and held them up to show two perfectly cleaned and wrapped hands. “Come back Sunday and I’ll show you around LA. How’s that sound?”

 

The guitarist thought it sounded perfect and was really struggling to not look too eager.

 

“Yeah – I mean – sure, I can make some time for time.” Simon tried to lean on the counter only to miss terribly and trip backwards. Luckily he caught himself this time, but that didn’t stop Raphael raising a single eyebrow in amusement.

 

“I meant to do that.” Simon attempted to say smoothly, “Just testing your reflexes, you failed miserably at catching me.” He regretted the way he worded the second part of his sentence the moment it left his lips.

 

The older man didn’t miss a beat and took a step forward; his already dark eyes seemed to deepen as he looked directly into the younger man’s own.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be faster next time.” He was close enough that it Simon took one step closer their chests would touch.

 

He felt his mouth go dry and only managed to weak, “C-Cool,” He thought to himself, maybe his lack of balance wasn’t such a bad thing anymore.

 

Raphael smiled, “Let me see your phone.” And without even questioning Simon unlocked it and handed it over.

 

The other man quickly typed in his number and saved his contact, “Text me and we can figure out a time to meet Sunday. You live close by?”

 

“Really close! In the apartment complex right down the street.” The musician said as he took back his phone, “And, say cheese!” He quickly took a picture of Raphael’s unsuspecting face to save as his contact photo.

 

Raphael looked like he wanted to scowl but couldn’t help the corners of his mouth turning up, “You better delete that or you are finished.” He made a half-attempt to grab at Simon’s phone but the younger man quickly sidestepped him and stuck his tongue out.

 

The older man shook his head and let out a small disbelieving laugh, as if he couldn’t fathom why he felt compelled to go on a date with this child-like East Coaster.

 

Simon saw the actor pause for a moment in thought, “Wait, you can afford to live in those apartments?”

 

“Oh, hell no, I live with a couple. One also happens to be my landlord and he gave me a discount if I did the cleaning every other week. It’s actually a pretty good deal, but this guy is into some extravagant art that looks suuuper complicated to dust, and also really fragile. His boyfriend on the other hand looks has some rank laundry since he works in some fancy gym and I am already dreading doing –“

 

“Is your landlord Magnus Bane?” Raphael said before letting him finish.

 

“Oh yeah! He told me he knew you! He has been such a big help since I moved out here last week, I don’t know how to repay him.”

Raphael crossed his arms and looked down at his feet as if suddenly embarrassed, which shocked Simon since it was a brand new emotion for him to see displayed by the actor, “Yeah tell me about it. Guess he told you all about me.”

 

Simon felt his cheeks get hot, “Well, just a bit…” He let his sentence trail off, not sure how to continue without making it more awkward.

 

“What’s done is done, the old man doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut sometimes. But hey I can’t complain, if it wasn’t for him I don’t know where I would be right now.” The actor ran his hand through his styled hair, messing it up slightly and Simon liked how it looked.

 

“Just assume I know nothing. We are starting over anyways. Come Sunday, we are two total strangers who could have very well just met at a coffee shop.” The younger man said reassuringly, “Or on Tinder. More likely Tinder in this day and age.”

 

Raphael turned his head and laughed, “You, Simon, are an interesting one.”

 

“I try.” The musician said with a shrug trying to look casual but he knew he was beet red after that comment, “Well, I better get going. Getting late, and I have a long walk ahead of me.” He finished sarcastically.

 

“Miles and miles in the snow I’m sure.” The actor said walking Simon out of the restaurant.

 

They both stood outside the door to the restaurant, Simon shifting from foot to foot, unsure if he should be the one to say goodbye first.

 

“Well, until Sunday, Simon Lewis.” Raphael said with a half smile, “You better text me.”

 

“Oh, trust me, you are going to be bombarded with Bitmoji’s very soon. You have been warned.” The younger man said seriously and did the I’m watching you gesture with his hand even though it probably didn’t fit what he just said, it felt appropriate.

 

The actor rolled his eyes again, it seemed to be his trademark thing, and only responded before taking off in the other direction, “Make to keep your cuts clean, Idiota.”

 

Simon was sure he should probably be offended by the name, but could tell there were some beginnings of endearment in the insult.

 

“See you Sunday!” He shouted back and he could see him wave back in response without turning around.

 

Yup, he was kind of an asshole. But a hot asshole with some very guarded walls up.

 

Now that was a visual Simon did not want to think about. He tried to reign in his huge grin as he walked back into his apartment.

 

 

“What’s got you so smiley?” Alec asked when he got a good look at the young man’s face as he walked through the door. He was sitting on the living room couch watching TV, his arms draped over the sides, but there was no sign of Magus. “I didn’t think having a job would make you that happy.”

 

Simon plopped down on the opposite side of the couch ungracefully and let out a sigh of contentment, “I ran into Raphael and now we are going on a date on Sunday.” He blurted out, just excited to tell someone.

 

Alec’s eyebrows shot up, “Serious? That’s awesome, man. Record time too, I haven’t know Raphael to get over something so quickly.”

 

“Well, I can tell I probably get on his nerves a little, but I think for the first time it might actually be not so bad of a thing.” Simon felt like he could actually jump for joy. He knew he really shouldn’t get his hopes up and that the first date could go awfully, but he couldn’t stop the burning he felt in his chest.

 

“Wish Magnus was here, he would be already be trying to plan your outfit for you.” Alec said with a chuckle, “He has a late night at the gallery, preparing for some big exhibition. I’m sure he will want all the details later.”

 

“That’s so cool, I would love to see the show he is getting ready for.” The musician said genuinely.

 

“I’m sure he would be happy to show you around his studio sometime. His upcoming show is themed around Demons and Angels. He could probably explain it a lot better than I can, some of my sister’s pieces will be in it too actually.”

 

“No way, I didn’t know your sister was an artist.” Simon paused and then continued, “Actually, I don’t think I even knew you had a sister.” He ended with a laugh.

 

“She can be a bit intense.” Alec chuckled, “But she means well. Izzy always seems to attract trouble. The men she dates usually the root of that.”

 

“She sounds fun.” The younger man said jokingly and tried to imagine Alec in female form. If she shared the same genes as Alec, he was sure that she could probably get any man she wanted.

 

“Just don’t let the girl get you near tequila. Within an hour she will have you convinced to take body shots off the nearest stranger. Trust me.” Alec shook his head as if trying to rid himself of the drunken memories.

 

Simon could not imagine the older man in front of him ever being that wild. He had to meet his sister, if only to learn how to navigate the bar scene in LA. He couldn’t legally drink yet, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t start making the relationships he had to make in order to start booking gigs in dive bars.

 

“Well, I can’t wait to meet her.” The musician laughed before excusing himself to his room.

 

He lay back onto his bed and pulled out his phone to text Clary about everything that had happened that evening. He knew it was going to be late for her in New York, but it couldn’t wait.

 

Simon had a date with Raphael and everything was about to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer wait on this chapter! I can finally start to see the outline of where this story is going, so hopefully chapters will continue to come out regularly. Until then, I'm trying to be more active on Twitter, so feel free to follow me @ArinMallin.
> 
> Once again, thank you for reading and commenting! I love hearing your feedback and responding.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know how long the story is going to be now, and trust me things are just getting started. Enjoy the chapter and please see the notes at the end for an important question!

Simon’s first day of work went quickly. He actually enjoyed the manual labor of organizing all of the comics. Despite the rest of his life normally being a mess, the process of putting everything in its proper place felt nice. Ragnor was just happy to have a second pair of hands help out when the store got busy. At the moment Simon was trying to help a gaggle of young girls who had just walked in trying to find the most recent editions of Deadpool. He almost wanted to say that they were too young to be reading it, but the fierce look of determination in their eyes put the fear of God into him.

 

They reminded him of Clary when she was set on getting her way. That girl had a way of influencing people. Thank goodness she was basically a saint or she would be one of the most dangerous women out there. When he told her about Raphael she didn’t even bother to text him back, instead calling him less than 30 seconds later and shouting the moment he picked up.

 

“WHO DID YOU MEET SIMON LEWIS?!” She had pretty much screamed, and Simon had to pull the phone away from his ear. The young man couldn’t believe he wasn’t deaf already just by having this redhead as his best friend.

“Calm down, Clary. Just breathe, I swear it isn’t a big deal.” He had said, though he could feel his heart start to pick up it’s pace. He really hoped that childish crush feeling would dissipate soon, it wasn’t like he was 14.

 

“This isn’t a _big deal?_ ” Clary emphasized the last words and Simon was able to picture the incredulous look on her face perfectly, “This is a _gigantic_ deal, dumbo! When was the last time you had a date?”

 

“Ouch, that hurts.” Simon said with mock offense in his voice, “I’ll have you know I went on a date with that girl who worked at the campus coffee shop last Fall.”

 

The woman laughed on the other end of the phone, “Simon, you only said yes to that date because she scared you and you didn’t want her to spit in your coffee.”

 

The guitarist considered this for a moment, “Okay, you’re point?”

 

“Exactly! My point is is that you haven’t gone on a serious date with someone you actually _like_ in literal ages. Excuse me for being so excited!” She took a deep breath and continued, “I want to see you happy, Simon. I hated the idea of you being so far away and I just want to know someone is there to take care of you.”

 

Simon had smiled at this. No matter how much he and Clary had been through throughout the years, this is why they always remained friends. “I really appreciate that Clar, but it isn’t like we are getting married. He knocked me over, I bled on him a little, and boom! What do you know, a date.”

 

“You never know Si, you never know.”

 

The rest of their conversation continued like normal, talking about pretty much nothing, but it meant the world to Simon. After a couple hours, Clary finally said she had to get to bed or there was no way she was going to wake up for her 8am class tomorrow.

 

Simon had looked at the clock then and realized it was midnight here, meaning it was 3am in New York. He quickly shooed her off the phone and went to bed himself to wake up early for work.

 

And here he was, about to tell a group of 13 year olds that Deadpool wasn’t appropriate for them, but couldn’t bring himself to. He eventually sold it to them when Ragnor wasn’t looking.

 

“Don’t tell your parents where you got those okay.” He whispered to the apparent leader of the crew, who nodded back conspiratorially with a sly grin on her face. The guitarist handed them their change and they scurried off.

 

He couldn’t help but let a loose grin appear on their face as he watched them leave the store. Simon would have died to read Deadpool at their age. And hey, at least they were reading. Kinda.

 

Ragnor broke him out of his thoughts, “Thanks for all your help today, the store is already starting to look better.”

 

Simon beamed, “Really? Just happy to help.”

 

“Why don’t you head out, I can take care of closing like I said. “ Ragnor put a heavily decorated hand on his shoulder as he started easing him to the door.

 

“Are you sure? I mean I don’t mind staying longer, I don’t really have much else going on.” Simon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Besides meeting Raphael, he hadn’t exactly made very many connections with other people.

 

Simply put, he had no friends.

 

“Yes, of course. A young man like you should be out on the town on a Saturday evening. Or whatever you do these days.” He finished with a flourish of his hand.

The younger man shrugged, he supposed he was right. It felt weird to try and go out by himself but if he wanted to start actually meeting people, it might be just what he needed.

 

“Y’know what? You are right. I should get myself out there.” Simon puffed out his chest slightly as if to almost convince himself that it was true.

 

“You should, now get out of my store, I want to close. Paychecks go out on Friday, so just hold tight until then. Direct deposit work well for you?” The older man asked.

 

The guitarist felt his heightened mood fall slightly at the knowledge that he would have to go nearly another week until he would see money, but he shoved the feeling aside, “Yeah that works perfect.” He flashed a grin and headed out the door.

 

It was around 5pm, which meant happy hour was starting somewhere. Simon had heard fake-ids were near impossible to use in LA so he didn’t even want to try and risk it. He had walked again, so he just decided to continue down the street he worked on until he found a place he could hole up in and pretend to be drinking a vodka soda and not a Sprite.

 

It didn’t take him long to find a place called The Wolf Den. Despite the name, it didn’t seem that dark and ominous. Though he did have to walk down a flight of stairs to get into the main entrance. It was a dive bar that is for damn sure. It smelled like beer was just apart of the foundation of the building after having probably thousands of them spilt on the wood floor.

 

There were a few pool tables in the middle of the open area as well as tables off to the side that had an assortment of games stacked upon it. It seemed like one of those places that use to be inhabited by bikers but now was filled to the brim with yuppies.

 

Simon gulped back his nervousness as eyes turned to him when he walked in. It wasn’t a large place, so his presence was definitely know and it made his skin crawl. He quickly shuffled to the bar, avoiding eye contact with everyone along the way, he definitely did not fit into the vibe of the establishment. His worn “ _Join The Rebellion”_ shirt making him stand out like a sore thumb.

 

Once he got to the front of the bar, he had noticed a giant wolf head on the wall above the numerous alcohol shelves. It’s face stuck in a permanent growling grimace, as if warning Simon that he had just walked into unknown territory.

 

“Hi, can I help you?” A darker skinned girl with tightly curled hair asked him, Simon noticing the way she looked him up and down. He assumed it was out of pure judgment until she spoke again, “Like your shirt,” she said with a smile.

 

It felt genuine so Simon smiled back, “Thanks. I felt a little out of place with it on when I first walked in actually.” He laughed, a tinge of red coming to his cheeks.

 

“Yeah I could kinda tell, looked like you wanted to shit yourself for a second.” The girl said with a laugh, “Don’t worry though, these people are all just trying to act like they are comfortable dressing up like models just to grab a beer. LA seriously is a trip sometimes.”

 

“Tell me about it.” Simon laughed, thinking about his first integration with Raphael, “Anyways, can I just get a Sprite?”

 

“Under 21 I’m guessing?” She asked while starting to fill his glass up with the soda fountain.

 

“Yeah, pretty obvious huh?”

 

“Just a bit, you seem a bit fresh faced for this town as well. Not jaded yet.” She handed him his glass, “I’m Maia by the way, aspiring writer by day, kick-ass bartender by night. Been slumming it in LA for a few years now, would say it gets easier but I wouldn’t want to lie to that adorable face of yours.” She reached out a hand to pinch his cheek, as if they had known each other for longer than 5 minutes.

 

He chuckled, it made him feel like a little kid but not quite patronized, “Well nice to meet you Maia, I’m Simon, comic book slinger by day, up and coming musician by night. Well, hopefully up and coming.” He ended with a soft smile.

 

“That life style is hard kid, I have to give it to you. Perusing your dreams can be a nightmare.” She paused, “Oh, that’s good.” And pulled a pen from behind her ear that was hidden in her hair and used it to write down her last sentence on a napkin. After folding it up carefully and putting it into her pocked she continued, “As I was saying, you got guts.”

 

“Either that or I just dropped my entire life to come out here and fail. But, I mean, ah I know I shouldn’t think like that, it’s just scary not knowing what the future will look like.” Simon rubbed his left arm with his opposite hand stared down into his soda hoping it would give him some answers, “Sorry, I don’t mean to suddenly spill my emotions on you.”

 

“Trust me, as a bartender I get people telling me their entire life story after one drink. I take it as a testament to my mixology skills, but it could also just be I’m easy to talk to.” Maia gave him a reassuring smile and then her eyebrows shot up her forehead and disappeared into her bangs. It literally looked like she just got a light bulb above her head.

 

“I know! Why don’t you perform here sometime! We have a small stage and local bands play here for tips sometimes. We can’t pay you, but free drinks all night.” She paused, “Well, sodas anyways.” But winked when she finished.

 

Simon didn’t even notice though because his mind was now going at a million miles per hour. He seriously could not believe his luck right now.

 

“Are you s-serious?” He could barely contain the excitement in his voice, he swore he was almost shouting, “You have no idea what that would mean to me.” The musician suddenly held her forearms, looking into her eyes. There were literal stars twinkly and dancing in his own.

 

She blushed for a moment before continuing, “Woah, calm down kiddo, it’s just a small gig.” She ended with a soft chuckle.

 

Simon suddenly realized what his hands did of their own volition and quickly dropped them to his sides but still continued speaking excitedly, “Do you know when I can do that? I mean, no rush, but honestly this is a amazing. I would work with your schedule, honestly any time works. Well maybe not when I’m working, but I am free evenings! Oh man, this is amazing, wait until I tell Raph-“ He was spit firing all of his thoughts at once, barely taking a moment to breath.

 

“Ok, slow down.” Maia was now seriously laughing as if she could not believe how happy her idea made this young man in front of her. Simon was literally bouncing in place like a puppy.

 

“How about Wednesday next week. Now I know that isn’t the most popular day but-“

“That’s perfect.” This time it was Simon’s turn to cut someone off. This would be the first time he would play his music in LA, any opportunity was a good one at this point.

 

“Are you sure? It won’t be that busy.” Maia pushed gently, not wanting to get the young musicians hopes up.

 

“Seriously, it’s great Maia.” Simon beamed again, “I’ve gotta get home. I need to start planning out a set list like now.”

 

Maia laughed incredulously, putting her hands up silently as if to say she had no control over the situation.

 

They exchanged numbers and planned to contact each other with more info when the day grew closer. Simon literally could not wait.

 

When he got back to his apartment later that night he told his roommates the good news and they seemed happy for him, though Alec was slightly more distracted by the extravagant meal he was concocting. Simon would have never thought a big tough guy like him would be so refined in the kitchen.

 

Magnus seemed to enjoy it as well because the musician doubted Alec bought that _Kiss the Cook_ apron with his own freewill.

 

“That is great, peaches! You can expect Alec and I there.” Magnus looked Simon up and down quickly, “And please let me dress you. This is your first show and you never know who might be in the audience.”

 

The young man rolled his eyes dramatically, “Awh, c’mon, I’m so tired of people thinking the way I dress is lame. I mean what could possible be lame about Star Wars?” He paused as if waiting for a response but all he got was intense side eye from the older man, “Never mind, don’t answer that. What I’m trying to say is, the way I dress is a part of me. A part of my charm!” He exclaimed.

 

“You have charm?” Alec chimed in suddenly, like he does, looking up from his sautéing garlic for just a moment.

 

Simon sat down with a _humph!_ And crossed his arms. He knew he probably looked like a toddler, but he didn’t care. He liked his clothes and he wasn’t going to change just because LA told him to.

 

He may be awkward and nervous, but that is what made Simon, Simon. And if he were going to get famous, it would be by just being himself. Quirks and all.

 

“Oh hush.” Magnus chided his boyfriend, “Look, you don’t need to change for anyone or any city for that matter. All we are saying is looking your best isn’t a bad thing. How about this, you let me dress you for your date with Raphael tomorrow, and if you don’t like it then you don’t have to worry about it for your show. Do we have a deal?”

 

Magnus held out a perfectly manicured hand with dark nail polish. Simon looked at it suspiciously for a moment as if glitter lasers were going to pop out of his fingers and condemn him to a hell of always having the evil sparkles stuck to him.

 

He finally pulled himself out of his thoughts when the older man raised an eyebrow at him, “Fine” he said pouting but shaking the former’s hand, “You have a deal.”

 

The rest of the evening went by quickly, and so did Simon’s second day at work. Before he knew it the time was 6pm on Sunday and he was suppose to meet Raphael in front of Mi Corazon. He had been texting waiter the previous evening and didn’t get many details on what exactly they would be doing tonight. Raphael had an amazing skill of using so few words but still managing to rile up Simon’s already tightly wound nerves even further. The younger man had to admit to himself though; he definitely didn’t hate the feeling.

 

Though he did feel incredibly uncomfortable. Magnus had put him in the tightest possible jeans that without a doubt showed everything Simon had to offer and more. Whether he wanted to do so or not.

 

Luckily he had on a fairly normal dress shirt that was dark blue, almost black. It still stood out in a very Magnus-y way by having small strings of sliver creating patterns throughout it. It wasn’t too flashy, but it wasn’t something Simon would ever wear on a normal day. Hell, even on a day like this where he was about to go on a date with the most attractive man he had ever met.

 

Simon had had crushes on men in the past, but he never seemed to act on them. He rarely acted on the females ones either to be fair. He would always get so in his own head and manage to mess it up in one way or another.

 

This was about to be his first real date with a dude, and the anticipation wasn’t lost on him. The young musician wasn’t quite sure how to act or what to do, but in the brief time that he had known Raphael he knew in his heart that this was something he had never really felt before.

 

Nothing this quick has rushed over him. The two times Simon had met Raphael in person, he felt like a wave had just hit him and his emotions were tumbling as the water roared in his ears.

 

Simon did one more once over of how he looked. He ran his hand through his hair again before finally deciding _that_ was a lost cause.

 

He walked out of his room and into the living area where he saw Magnus and Alec standing there like they were his parents and about to send him off to the prom.

 

“Aw, peaches, you look amazing. A true masterpiece.” Magnus smiled widely.

 

“Well, this is all you, you are the artist.” Simon goofily smiled back.

 

“Go get him, kid.” Alec said opening the door for him. The musician gulped, and tried to push down his nerves.

 

He gave the two a quick thanks and rushed out the door. He felt like his legs were on auto-pilot, propelling him in the direction of the restaurant.

 

Simon could feel his heart rise in his throat as he approached Mi Corazon and could see Raphael leaning against it’s dark exterior and looking down at his phone, the screen light illuminating his face. He was in a dark red suit, _the color of blood,_ Simon thought for a second before fully taking it in. To others he may have seemed a bit over dressed, but somehow it worked so well for him.

 

The pants hugged his toned thighs and rear. Simon almost whispered, “ _Bubble butt,”_ to himself. _Almost._

 

The heart that was now in his throat clenched as he continued to take in the sight.

 

“Are you going to continue to stare, Lewis?” Raphael broke the heavy silence, not once bothering to look of from his phone.

 

Simon’s eyes widened cartoonishly, “H-how did you know I was staring? I could have been looking at anything!” He finished by sticking his chin up in the air defiantly. He knew he probably looked ridiculous, but he know felt like his couldn’t move or breath under the unwavering gaze of the man in front of him.

 

Raphael did a quick sweep of the area, “Oh yeah, some fascinating lamp posts around these parts.” He shot him a teasing grin.

 

Simon laughed, feeling some of the tension leave his body. Raphael walked up to him slowly. The younger man could feel the former’s eyes look him up and down as he did.

 

“You look nice.” The actor/waiter said as he got up close, putting his hand on Simon’s shoulder and leaning in to place a soft kiss on his cheek.

 

Simon didn’t know it was possible to blush that hard, but he felt the heat rise to his face within seconds.

 

“T-thanks.” He stammered out, his hand coming up to touch the place where the lips once were.

 

“Sorry if that was a bit forward, it’s the Latino in me. Less personal bubble and all that.” Raphael said with a small smirk on his face. Simon doubted his was actually sorry, he seemed to enjoy how flustered it made him.

 

“N-no, it’s okay. I mean, my family is kinda hands off. We hug and stuff, but no like little touches here and there or anything. That-that was kind of nice though.” He finished, looking at the man in front of him through his lashes.

 

This time Raphael seemed to take a moment before responding. Simon swore he could see the tiniest red tinge his tanned skin.

 

“A-anyways,” The older man paused and coughed as if to clear his throat, “Let’s get going. I have a lot to show you.” His nonchalant demeanor returning to his face

 

Simon nodded eagerly and was no longer able to contain his growing excitement. As he and Raphael started to walk off towards the older man’s car, he couldn’t help but notice the way their shoulders brushed each other. Neither attempted to widen their distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the date coming at the end and being cut off. This chapter kind of ran away from me, had a lot of set up to take care of. The next chapter will be a lot of the date, and of course a few other twists and turns.
> 
> Now for the question: What song should Simon play at his show? To give you some inspiration, here's a little teaser - Raphael will definitely be in the audience. It won't be for a couple chapters, but when it comes Simon is definitely going to want to take advantage of the moment.
> 
> Thank you as always for reading and commenting! I love getting your feedback, it truly does help and inspire me.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how long this story will go, so please leave me your thoughts and suggestions!
> 
> Also, if you were curious, this is actually a real restaurant. It is called Mi Corazon and you can check it out here: http://www.mi-corazon.net/
> 
> When I walked in to pick up my burrito it instantly reminded me of Saphael, and not just because of the hot waiter I promise!
> 
> Than you again for reading!


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